It is not just coding - Engineering is not blue collar (unless you fix boilers).

There have been a number of articles over the last few days in response to this article.

The responses have pointed out, quite rightly, that blue collar tasks as generally understood do not require the skills of an engineer (that is worth an article in its own right); here I am referring to designers in particular and we come in many flavours - software, PCB layout, electronics, FPGA wizards, high speed design gurus, crypto researchers, materials science - the list goes on and all these positions require a particular mindset and education that is most definitely not that of an assembly line operator.

There is, however, a misconception that we needed to go to university to get those skills; there is no doubt many benefit from it but I have been very successful without the added overhead of many thousands of pounds / dollars of debt from University fees. I have personally taken roads less travelled; a self-directed apprenticeship, if you will.

The key, as in many walks of life is a hunger to achieve. Sounds obvious doesn't it? The fact is that many people I have worked with had advanced degrees but did not have that hunger and when that happens the industry drops them rather than the other way around. Engineering is not easy although it can (and for me is) a lot of fun. Blue collar tasks can be fun and engaging if you want to make it so; that does not change the reality of the education and mindset required for engineering.

I have been fortunate enough to work with some of the very best engineers in the world at my various jobs and hopefully we learned from each other. Being part of a standards organisation made me realise that those who respect standards should never watch them being made.

The really clear difference from blue collar tasks is that for the vast majority of those tasks a person can know everything about the task but in engineering this is simply not so. You may know everything about your current task, but the next one will throw up challenges (to be honest I would be bored if they did not).

There are some axioms in engineering and one of them is Nobody knows it all (not only because new things are being developed daily - the field of study is enormous). Having started in a blue collar job (junior electrical mechanic 2nd class, Royal Navy) I can attest that the job I do now has about as much relationship to that as a swimming certificate relates to my chartered engineer status. It was however, the first step on a long journey that has been engaging and fun.

I encourage all budding engineers to try things and make mistakes (not something usually encouraged in blue collar work) because that way you will learn.

I will admit to wearing shirts with blue collars, though.